Folding machine



Oct. 29, 1929. 'A. R. RIDDERSTROM 1,733,362

- FOLDING MACHINE Original Filed June 24, 192.1 2 Sheets-Sheet lInventor flndrew Rfl'z'dders tram fittomey Oct. 29, 1929 A. R.RIDDERSTROM 1,733,362

FOLDING MACHINE Original Filed June 24, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m; 8. WwwM A? fipvmtor fin drew RRzddenstrm flttorney Patented Get. 29, 1929UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE ANDREW R. RIDDERSTROM, OF NAHANT,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO UNITED SHOEIVIACHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY FOLDING MACHINE Original application filed June 24, 1921, SerialNo. 480,177.

Divided and this application filed April 19,

1923. Serial No. 633,120.

The present invention relates to folding machines, and more particularlyto machines for folding a binding strip around the edge of a boot orshoe upper to which it is attached. This application is a division of acopending application, Serial No. 480,177, filed June 24,1921.

The binding strip is usually sewed upon a face of the upper along anedge thereof, after which the strip is folded around the said edge andinto even contact with the opposite face. In order that the bindingstrip, after folding, may lie evenly and smoothly against the saidopposite face, it is necessary that the strip be first wiped tightlyacross the edge to which it is secured and then pulled and held tightlyduring the folding operation and while it is pressed against the saidopposite face; and it is necessary also that the strip be folded exactlyat the proper points or lines, and not to one side thereof.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved machineadapted to fold binding strips of the above-describecl character.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists of theimproved machine hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the forward part of themachine, upon a reduced scale; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View, upon alarger scale than in Fig. 1, illustrating the operation of the preferredmachine; Fig. 3 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is adetail view illustrating the action of the preferred wiper of thepresent, invention; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate successive steps in theoperation of this wiper; Fig. 8 is, a section of a shoe upper, showingan unfolded binding strip attached thereto; and Fig. 9 is a sectionsimilar toFig. 8, showing a binding strip in finally folded positionupon the upper.

The invention .is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in connectionwith the folding of a binding strip 2, of cloth, sill: and the like,around the edge 4: of a sheet of leather or other material 6, such as aboot or shoe upper. An edge 8 of the binding strip is stitched at 12 toa face 10 of the shoe upper along the edge 4, so that the sheet and thestrip extend at an angle to each other from the secured-together edges4t and 8. It will be understood that the invention is equally applicableto other articles than that which is herein chosen for purposes ofillustration, and the elements of the article need not necessarily be ofthe relative dimensions shown.

The shoe upper is initially placed upon a platform or support 24, withthe face 10 of the upper in contact with the support. An end of the freeor unsecured edge 26 of the strip 2 is initially moved across and aroundthe secured-together edges 4 and 8, and into the space between aninterior side face 28 of a feed point 30 and a plow 32 that stands upintegrally from a plate 34. The machine being set into operation,successive portions of the unsecured edge or portion of the strip 2 nearthe stitches 12 are intermittently wiped tightly across thesecuredtogether edges 4 and 8, or away from the stitches, as shown moreparticularly at 36, Fig. 9, by the com bined action of a wiper 602 and aretainer 153 that presses down heavily at this time upon the upperdirectly opposite to the point of action of the wiper. The wiper thuscooperates with the retainer at this time, to wipe or stretch the stripti htly across the edge of the stock. The retainer-operating mechanismwill not be described herein, as it forms no essential part of thepresent invention. The retainer is provided with teeth, the more firmlyto hold the stock. In order to enable the wiper 602 to operate, thestrip 2 is progressively moved lightly or loosely by the operatorsfingers from the position of Fig. 8 more or less into the plane of theshoe-upper sheet 6, as the shoe upper is fed forward through themachine. The successively wiped portions are initially in termittentlyfolded around the secured-to gether edges 4 and 8 by the plow 32 andthey are gripped intermittently between the interior side face 28 of thefeed point and the plow 32, becoming thereby pulled tightly. Theintermittent wiping, and folding and gripping operations are performedupon the successive portions of the strip alternately during successivepauses in the feed, each wiped portion being folded by the plow. Thefolded portions are advanced by the feed point and a cooperating feedblock 41, that is carried integrally with the plow 32 upon the plate 34,to a combined folderand fold presser 42. The fold presser folds theplowfolded portions of the strip further and presses them down againstthe other face 16 of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 9. The preferred foldpresser 42 is described in Letters Patent Nos. 1,527,395 and 1,527,396,granted February 24, 1925. These operations are continued in timedrelation to one another until the whole strip has become folded, asdescribed in the said Letters Patent No. 1,527,396. Reference is made tothe said Letters Patent for a fuller desiription of so much of themachine as is not fully described herein, because unnecessary to anunderstanding of the present invention.

The specific wiper illustrated in the drawings and described herein actsintermittently, at spaced or separated portions only of the strip, in aplane at right angles to the direction of feed, and from a point beneaththe plane of the leather sheet to a point above the sheet. In Figs. 3and 7, the wiper is shown before it engages the strip. It then engagesthe strip, and moves as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. This action ofthe wiper from a point beneath the plane of the sheet to a point abovethe sheet is considered to be a very important feature of the presentinvention, as it insures tight wiping.

The Wiper 602 is pivoted at 604 to a link 606 one end 608 of which ispivoted to a gear 610. The gear 610 is shown meshing with a gear 64 upona driving shaft 66. A stationary pin 612 in a slot 614 at the other endof the link 606 guides the back-and-forthmovement of the link during therotation of the gear 610. This back-and-forth movement of the link iscommunicated, through the pivotal point 604, to the wiper 602. Astationary pin 616, in a slot 618 of the wiper, guides the diagonalmovement of the wiper.

The initial position of the parts may be regarded as shown in Fig. 4. Asthe gear 610 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 4, the link606 is drawn inward and upward slidingly and pivotally about the pin612, towards the position indicated in Fig. 5. The wiper 602 is thusalso carried inward and upward, and it is at the same time caused tomove diagonally by the action of the pin 616 upon the walls of the slot618. Further rotation of the gear 610 will effect a clownward, but afurther inward, movement of the link 606, towards the position indicatedin Fig. 6, which will have the effect of still further diagonallyinclining the wiper 602. The net result of the movement of the wiper 602thus far described is. to force the wiper tightly against the bindingstrip and diagonally upward, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5. Asthe gear 610 is further rotated, the link 606, and the wiper 602 towhich it is pivoted, are moved away from the binding strip, the wipermoving downward and outward, in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 7. Adiagonally acting wiper having a four way motion and having aconsiderable range of movement oblique to the plane of the sheet is thusprovided.

The feeding mechanism 41, 30, and the combined folder and fold presser42, are also driven from the driving shaft 66, as described in the saidLetters Patent No. 1,527,396.

It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the exactembodiment thereof that is herein illustrated and described. but thatmodifications may be made therein by persons skilled in the art, andthat such modifications are considered to be embraced within the spiritand scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for wiping a strip across the edge of a sheet of materialto one face of which, along the said edge, an edge of the strip issecured so that the sheet and the strip extend from the secured-togetheredges at an angle to each other, the said machine having, incombination, means for feeding the sheet, a wiper for wiping the stripacross the secured-together edges, and means for actuating the wiper ina plane at an angle to the direction of feed ina direction oblique tothe plane of the sheet.

2. A machine for wiping a strip across the edge of a sheet of materialto one face of which, along the said edge, an edge of the strip issecured so that the sheet and the strip extend from the secured-togetheredges at an angle to each other, the said machine having, incombination, a member adapted to engage the strip at a point where thestrip is secured to the sheet, and means for actuating the member in aplane at an angle to the direction of feed in a direction oblique t theplane of the sheet.

8. A machine for folding a strip around the edge of a sheet of materialto one face of which, along the said edge, an edge of the strip issecured so that the sheet and the strip extend from the secured-togetheredges at an angle to each other, the said machine having, incombination, means for feeding the sheet, a wiper for wiping the stripacross the secured-together edges, means for actuating the wiper in aplane at an angle to the direction of feed in a direction oblique to theplane of the sheet, and a fold presser for pressing the strip againstthe other face of the sheet. A

4. A machine for wiping a strip across the edge of a sheet of materialto one face of which, along the said edge, an edge of the strip issecured so that the sheet and the strip extend from the securedtogetheredges at an angle to each other, the said machine having, incombination, a wiper for wiping the strip across the secured-togetheredges and provided with a slot, a pin in the slot for guiding the wiper,and means for imparting a four-way motion to the wiper.

5. A machine for wiping a strip across the edge of a sheet of materialto one face of which, along the said edge, an edge of the strip issecured so that the sheet and the strip extend from the secured-togetheredges at an angle to each other, the said machine having, incombination, a wiper for wiping the strip across the secured-togetheredges, a link, one end of which is pivoted to the wiper, a gear to whichthe other end of the link is pivoted, and means for driving the gear.

6. A machine for operating upon a piece of work which consists of apiece of material to which a piece of binding is attached having, incombination, a support over which the work is fed intermittently withthe side to which the binding is attached resting upon the support, abinding engaging member,

and means for moving said member from a point beneath the Work to apoint above the work to pull the free portion of the binding out overthe attached portion.

7. A machine for operating upon a piece of work which consists of apiece of material to which a piece of binding is attached, having, incombination, a support for the work, means for feeding the Work, amember for engaging that part of the binding which is in superposedrelation to the material, means for moving the member from a pointbeneath the work into contact with the binding and to a point above thework to pull the free portion of the binding out over the attachedportion, and means for folding the pulledout binding over upon the bodyof the work.

8. A machine for operating upon a piece of work which consists of apiece of material to which a piece of binding is attached having, incombination, a support for the work, means for feeding the workintermittently over the support, a wiper, means for causing the wiper tomove intermittently from a point beneath the work to a point above thework during the pauses in the intermit tent feed to force the freeportion of the binding over the attached portion, and means for foldingthe pulled-out binding about the edge of the material to form a fold andpressing it against the body of the Work.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17th dayof April, 1923.

AN DREl V R. RIDDERSTROM

